Letter to the Editor Regarding “Burnout in Ophthalmology Residents in a Tertiary Referral Hospital in Mexico City"

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/ijms.2026.4355

Keywords:

burnout, ophthalmology, residents, mental health, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, work-related stress, sleep deprivation, medical errors, Mexico

Abstract

Burnout among ophthalmology residents represents a significant concern due to its impact on trainee well-being and patient safety. This letter to the editor critically appraises a recent study evaluating burnout in a tertiary referral hospital in Mexico City, highlighting key findings and identifying areas for further exploration. While the original study effectively underscores the high prevalence of burnout and its association with factors such as sleep deprivation, workload, and medical errors, additional consideration of systemic and institutional contributors is warranted. Evidence from the literature suggests that structured interventions, including mentorship programs, mandatory rest policies, and mindfulness-based strategies, may mitigate burnout and improve resilience among trainees. Furthermore, expanding comparisons with international data and addressing methodological limitations, such as response bias, may strengthen the interpretation of findings. This correspondence emphasizes the need for comprehensive, multi-level approaches to address burnout and calls for future research focused on implementing and evaluating targeted interventions in diverse training environments.

References

1. Medina-Gaona LA, García-Aguirre G, Salcedo Villanueva G, Jácome-Gutiérrez FA. Burnout in ophthalmology residents in a tertiary referral hospital in Mexico City. Int J Med Stud. 2025;13(4):408-11.

2. Low ZX, Yeo KA, Sharma VK, Leung GK, McIntyre RS, Guerrero A, et al. Prevalence of burnout in medical and surgical residents: a meta-analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(9):1479.

3. Ireland MJ, Clough B, Gill K, Langan F, O’Connor A, Spencer L. A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness to reduce stress and burnout among intern medical practitioners. Med Teach. 2017;39(4):409-14.

4. Alotaibi AK, Alsalim A, Alruwaili F, Almubarak A, Alhamzah A, Albahlal A, et al. Burnout during ophthalmology residency training: a national survey in Saudi Arabia. Saudi J Ophthalmol. 2019;33(2):130-4.

5. Rotenstein LS, Torre M, Ramos MA, Rosales RC, Guille C, Sen S, et al. Prevalence of burnout among physicians. JAMA. 2018;320(11):1131-50.

Downloads

Published

2026-02-02 — Updated on 2026-02-02

How to Cite

Lim, A. (2026). Letter to the Editor Regarding “Burnout in Ophthalmology Residents in a Tertiary Referral Hospital in Mexico City". International Journal of Medical Students, 14(1), 48–49. https://doi.org/10.5195/ijms.2026.4355

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 1 (2026)

Section

Letter to the Editor

Categories

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Ashley Lim

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

  1. The Author retains copyright in the Work, where the term “Work” shall include all digital objects that may result in subsequent electronic publication or distribution.
  2. Upon acceptance of the Work, the author shall grant to the Publisher the right of first publication of the Work.
  3. The Author shall grant to the Publisher and its agents the nonexclusive perpetual right and license to publish, archive, and make accessible the Work in whole or in part in all forms of media now or hereafter known under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License or its equivalent, which, for the avoidance of doubt, allows others to copy, distribute, and transmit the Work under the following conditions:
    1. Attribution—other users must attribute the Work in the manner specified by the author as indicated on the journal Web site; with the understanding that the above condition can be waived with permission from the Author and that where the Work or any of its elements is in the public domain under applicable law, that status is in no way affected by the license.
    2. The Author is able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the nonexclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the Work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), as long as there is provided in the document an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
    3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post online a prepublication manuscript (but not the Publisher’s final formatted PDF version of the Work) in institutional repositories or on their Websites prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work. Any such posting made before acceptance and publication of the Work shall be updated upon publication to include a reference to the Publisher-assigned DOI (Digital Object Identifier) and a link to the online abstract for the final published Work in the Journal.
    4. Upon Publisher’s request, the Author agrees to furnish promptly to Publisher, at the Author’s own expense, written evidence of the permissions, licenses, and consents for use of third-party material included within the Work, except as determined by Publisher to be covered by the principles of Fair Use.
    5. The Author represents and warrants that:
      1. the Work is the Author’s original work;
      2. the Author has not transferred, and will not transfer, exclusive rights in the Work to any third party;
      3. the Work is not pending review or under consideration by another publisher;
      4. the Work has not previously been published;
      5. the Work contains no misrepresentation or infringement of the Work or property of other authors or third parties; and
      6. the Work contains no libel, invasion of privacy, or other unlawful matter.
    6. The Author agrees to indemnify and hold Publisher harmless from the Author’s breach of the representations and warranties contained in Paragraph 6 above, as well as any claim or proceeding relating to Publisher’s use and publication of any content contained in the Work, including third-party content.

Enforcement of copyright

The IJMS takes the protection of copyright very seriously.

If the IJMS discovers that you have used its copyright materials in contravention of the license above, the IJMS may bring legal proceedings against you seeking reparation and an injunction to stop you using those materials. You could also be ordered to pay legal costs.

If you become aware of any use of the IJMS' copyright materials that contravenes or may contravene the license above, please report this by email to contact@ijms.org

 

Infringing material

If you become aware of any material on the website that you believe infringes your or any other person's copyright, please report this by email to contact@ijms.org